Classics in September 2013 - a recap
Our second annual month celebrating the classics of crime fiction has come to an end. We hope you’ve enjoyed it. It started off with one of the Queens of the Golden age, Dorothy L Sayers, and ended with a slightly lesser known Golden Age author…
CIS: An introduction to Michael Innes
He’s one of the longest-serving literary detectives, but do lovers of classic crime still read the extravagant, erudite novels featuring Inspector John Appleby? Have crime readers even heard of Michael Innes, the pen name adopted by Scottish academic and author John Innes Mackintosh Stewart (1906-1994)…
CIS: Sophie Hannah to write new Poirot
You may have read it in the news. There’s going to be a new Hercule Poirot novel, and it’s going to be written by the British author Sophie Hannah. Normally a writer of psychological thrillers, the opportunity to write a Poirot story and follow in…
CIS: Fatality in Fleet Street by Christopher St John Sprigg
Fatality in Fleet Street was first published in 1933, but is set several years later, on the eve of what history tells us was World War II. The supreme irony is that St John Sprigg could have predicted neither this nor his own untimely death…
CIS: The Best of Dorothy L Sayers
Dorothy L Sayers may not be quite as much of a household name worldwide as Agatha Christie, but is thought by many to be the better writer. Funnier, more nuanced and unafraid to address social issues, Sayers is often cited as an inspiration by authors…
Welcome to Classics in September 2013
The other day we were on Twitter talking about our intention to run our second annual themed month, Classics in September. One of our followers asked: ‘Why September?’ A very good question, and just the sort a lover of mysteries who follows the logic of…
DispatchesFromNoir: the five books that got me hooked on crime fiction
I’ve been reading crime fiction almost since I learned to read. My tastes in crime fiction have changed markedly over the years, but that’s the great thing about this genre. It grows and evolves with us, always offering top-notch writing in many different styles. Encyclopedia…